Air Traffic Management
Aviation Daily Aug 12 , 2010 , p. 08
Neelam Mathews
As India’s GPS-Aided Geo Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) system reaches it final operational phase, the FAA, Raytheon, Indian Space Research Organization and Airports Authority of India have agreed to use ISROs algorithms to address the ionospheric challenges expected to affect GPS signals.
To facilitate Category 1 precision approach landing of aircraft, India is developing GAGAN as a regional space-based system. This is a major step forward that will enable FAA to certify the system once it becomes operational in June 2013. Securing FAA approval now will prevent further delays if any additional changes need to be made in the advanced stage because minimum operating performance standards were set earlier in the project.
Because India is close to the equator, ionospheric time delay is one of the major factors affecting signal accuracy.
Raytheon has already set up eight reference stations in India, and has been awarded another seven by 2011 “to further stabilize our data,” says Airports Authority of India Chairman V.P. Agrawal.
“If they do not launch GAGAN now, technology will move ahead, and it will become obsolete,” says an official.
While the government announced Aug. 10 that it has officially launched GAGAN, reference stations must first be integrated with satellites for the signals to go through, giving pilots their landing information. The project will need to wait since the GSLV D-3 satellite launch vehicle, along with its two payloads—satellites GSAT-4 and GAGAN—crashed into the sea in April. GAGAN will now be launched in November by Arianespace.
GSAT 10, to be launched in 2012 using European launcher Arianespace to replace the aging INSAT-2E and INSAT-3B satellites, will also provide an on-orbit back-up for the GAGAN navigation payload.
The first reference station to be integrated with the satellite is expected to be either Delhi or one in the western state of Maharashtra.
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